Sunday, August 30, 2015

In light of those we know who are in much tougher days of cancer than I, my health status hardly seems worthy of posting, but for those who are so kind as to consistently and sincerely ask how I am doing in regard to the cancer fight, here is the latest. I went to see the cancer doc on Tuesday to discuss results of blood sampling done the week prior. The M-spike increased this time from 3.1 to 3.3, which
really isn't too bad, given that it is a slighter increase than normal, and it
was over a longer period of time than normal, but as always it begs the question
of how high is too high, and when do we start hitting it with meds again?

We are going to continue holding off on the chemotherapy for now, but the
doc is growing more nervous about it. On the one hand, you've got a
it-doesn't-get-any-more-serious-than-this disease that you don't want to wait
too long to treat, but on the other you have a body that is still in fairly good
shape that you don't want to hit too soon with the chemo, coupled with a cancer
that has a long established history of being a slow, smoldering increase. It's a nervy game to play. The doc is also concerned about some other indicators that the cancer may
be reaching the danger level, such as a decreasing red blood count, and a
decrease of some proteins called albumin that are made in the liver. So those will be watched, as
well, as well, in deciding when to resume chemo.

Bottom
line is that we're going to wait, go back in six weeks for a blood check with no
doc visit, and then blood work with a doc visit in 3 months. The doc is still holding
out and hoping that the monoclonal antibodies treatments get approved before I
go back onto chemo. I guess that Carol and I are hoping that, too, and more.